The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to a digitally reliant world. While the digital transformation is expected to generate opportunities and benefits for businesses and consumers alike, new risks and challenges also emerge.

With the goal of capacitating legislators and their staff on the intricacies of these emerging issues, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), through the Office of Commissioner Johannes Bernabe and the Legislative Liaison Office (LLO), will be conducting its next Capacity Improvement on Competition Advocacy for Legislative Staff (CICALS) on 25 March 2021. Another session will also be conducted in April 2021 (final date to be confirmed later).

Following the successful CICALS in the Senate last December 2019 and in the House of Representatives last May 2020, this two-day webinar, entitled “CICALS Digiconomy”, intends to be a venue where experts can share their views and experiences in developing and implementing policies and regulations that can maximize the gains from the digital economy.

In partnership with Senate Committee on Finance and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), CICALS Digiconomy aims to capacitate both the staff of legislators and members of the Senate on detecting competition issues in the digital economy and proposing new policies or reviewing pending legislative measures and existing laws which may impact the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The CICALS is a webinar series on the basics of competition law and policy, benefits and applications of the competition law on businesses, and the powers and functions of the PCC. As a regular advocacy initiative of the PCC-LLO, CICALS is geared towards achieving the Commission’s strategic objective of reviewing potentially anti-competitive legislation and policies that may substantially prevent, restrict, or lessen competition in the market.

The webinar will start at 3:00 PM. For further inquiries, kindly e-mail legis@phcc.gov.ph.

 

AGENDA

March 25, 2021 | Webinar for the Senate Legislative Staff
(5 mins) Welcoming Remarks
Sonny Angara, Senator, Republic of the Philippines
(5 mins) Opening Remarks
Arsenio Balisacan, Chairman, Philippine Competition Commission
 (15 mins)

Introduction to Digital Services and Information Infrastructure in the Philippines

Speaker: Ramonette Serafica, Senior Research Fellow, Philippine Institute of Development Studies
(25 mins)

Panel 1: Network and open access in data transmission

Panelists:

  • Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos, Lead Policy Researcher, Broadband Connectivity Project of the Asia Foundation, and Lead Convenor, Better Broadband Alliance
  • Verena Weber, Head, Communication Infrastructure and Services Policy Unit, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Several pending legislative bills aim to encourage the development of data transmission infrastructure and remove barriers to competition in data transmission services.
 (10 mins) BREAK
(45 mins)

Panel 2: Competition Concerns in Digital Industries

Panelists:

  • Ruben Maximiano, Senior Competition Expert, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  • JJ Disini, Managing Partner, Disini & Disini Law Office
  • Moritz Jakobs, International Competition Matters, Bundeskartellamt
(20 mins) Q&A
 (30 mins)

E-Government and Digital Transformation

Speakers:

  • Nick Malyshev,  Head, Regulatory Policy Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  • Miguel Amaral, Senior Policy Analyst, Regulatory Policy Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  • Antonio Padre, Director, Department of Information and Communications Technology (TBC)

For a developing country like the Philippines, advancing digital transformation in government is a challenging but crucial goal.
(10 mins) Q&A
Cristina Lazo, Moderator, Philippine Competition Commission
(5 mins) Closing Remarks
Johannes Bernabe, Commissioner, Philippine Competition Commission

 

April 2021 (final date to be confirmed later) | Round Table Discussion with the Senators
(5 mins) Introduction
Johannes Bernabe, Commissioner, Philippine Competition Commission
(5 mins) Welcoming Remarks
Sonny Angara, Senator, Republic of the Philippines
(5 mins) Opening Remarks
Arsenio Balisacan, Chairman, Philippine Competition Commission
(15 mins)

Importance of digitalization in ASEAN’s post-pandemic future      

Speaker: Yasuyuki Sawada, Chief Economist, Asian Development Bank
(10 mins) Q&A
Cristina Lazo, Moderator,Philippine Competition Commission
(50 mins)

Issues and policy concerns surrounding the digital economy     

Speakers:

  • Ruben Maximiano, Senior Competition Expert, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  • Verena Weber, Head, Communication Infrastructure and Services Policy Unit, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(20 mins) Roundtable discussion
Cristina Lazo, Moderator, Philippine Competition Commission
(5 mins) Summary of Day 2
Leni Papa, Consultant, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

 

To view more photos please visit our Facebook album page: CICALS Album

 

For more information on the Philippine Competition Act (PCA), you may download our publications below.